Chapter 2
Two
Eloise
I followed Reed into his room and stood awkwardly next to him, watching him open different drawers.
He handed me sweatpants and a t-shirt. They would hang off my frame, but it was better than my tight jeans and blouse.
Reed glanced at my lips before his eyes grazed my face then slowly traveled upward to my eyes again.
No. Don’t look at me like that.
That look happened before a kiss and I had a feeling that one kiss from Reed Hampton would have me tumbling head over heels. I refused to give him a chance because of our pasts. Falling for Reed was not an option. Yet he had been on my mind nonstop since the first time we met.
“Do you think I’m mad at you, Eli? I’m not,” he reassured softly. “You didn’t make me get hurt.”
“It’s my fault that you were injured. You should be mad at me.”
“It wasn’t your fault, lemondrop. Sometimes shit just happens.”
Instead of continuing to argue the point, I frowned. “You’ve been calling me that nickname for a while. How come?”
“Because whenever I use it, your pretty face loses its perpetual scowl.”
“Who cares if I scowl?” That he’d called me pretty wasn’t lost on me. My killer curves usually resulted in men calling me hot or sexy. I liked being called pretty instead.
“I care, beautiful. May I kiss you? If you don’t enjoy it, then we can go back to the couch and pretend it didn’t happen.”
Not happening! I needed to draw a firm boundary, though a kiss wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
Why was I pretending like it was? Oh. I didn’t want him to know that I had thought about it before.
I went with changing the subject because it was easier than explaining.
“Why don’t we just go back to the couch? ”
“Tell me you’re not attracted to me at all. Then of course we can. I’m just curious, but it feels like there’s something brewing between us.”
I rolled my eyes and didn’t answer. For all the things I was, a liar wasn’t one of them. My hesitation was another defense mechanism. I was attracted to him, way more than I let on. Despite the warning bells sounding in my head, I wanted to know what he tasted like.
Seeming satisfied that I hadn’t said no, Reed kissed me. His mouth molded to mine with an unbridled passion took my breath away.
So much for setting any boundaries! I wanted to push him away to stop what I was feeling.
Something real. Like the start of a relationship.
But then he cupped the back of my head, pulling me closer.
My hands hit his muscled pecs while I fought to keep some semblance of composure.
Failing brilliantly, I pulled him closer.
We kissed each other like it was the start of a brand-new beginning. Despite all that, I pulled away first.
“Keep your mouth away from mine.”
“Your words don’t match the reaction your body is giving, Eli. But I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“Do not put your lips anywhere near my face again. Got it?”
“I hear you loud and clear,” he said. “I really am trying to get you to shut your brain off for a little while, but if I’m making you more upset, then I’ll back off.”
His words made me feel awful. I hadn’t told him no. And truth was, that kiss would play on repeat for a long time to come. “You’re not making me upset, Reed.” I sighed.
“Are you sure?”
“I should bring you to the hospital,” I said, trying to sound sarcastic. “Your injury must be clouding your judgment.”
“Keep denying yourself the release you so desperately crave.”
“Oh!” I clapped, feigning excitement. “A cookies-and-cream hot-fudge sundae? That would give me a release.”
“I wish I knew you a little better,” he said in a deep husky tone.
“Why?” I laughed, feeling like I had the upper hand.
“Then I’d bend you over my knee and turn your bratty ass pink. It’s not just that you didn’t want to go to the doctor today, but all your needs have slipped onto the back burner. Haven’t they?”
Shit! Was Reed a Dom? I stared at him, trying to figure out if I’d missed some obvious signs. Sure, he talked about brats but that didn’t mean anything. That he hung out in our friend groups with dominant and submissive people didn’t necessarily mean anything either.
Have I ever seen him at Creekside Lounge?
Probably. Well, that wouldn’t be a guarantee either.
Damn it all to hell. If he was into some of the kinkier things in life, he just might be the sort of man I was looking for.
I’d been dying for someone else to step in and align my priorities.
Adjust my attitude whenever I let things overwhelm me instead of taking a break.
I knew I needed that, but slowing down enough to find it and relaxing enough to let someone in to be that for me was the problem.
I took several deep breaths, realizing that I’d been staring at him without a word for far longer than was polite.
“Don’t make threats,” I said as if he didn’t turn me on.
“Would you like a spanking, lemondrop? I can do that for you.”
Instead of answering him, I stripped my jeans off, flashing my barely there pink panties.
I’d get dressed and stop tossing sassy comments at him.
I maintained eye contact as I yanked on his sweatpants and tied the drawstring.
Undoing the buttons on my blouse, I slid it off my shoulders, giving him an eyeful then pulled his t-shirt over my head before I realized how much my hand hurt.
Nope. There was no easy way to unhook my bra and pull it through the shirt.
Not wanting to give Reed another show, I resigned to ask for his help.
“Will you please undo my bra?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Reed didn’t do as I expected. Or maybe he did exactly what I’d been hoping for.
He carefully removed the shirt, looking at the intricate lace patterns on my sexy bra.
It was an expensive name brand, one of the only materialistic things I splurged on.
Reaching around behind me, he undid each hook, slowly sliding the straps down my arms and off.
It should be a sin to have someone as handsome as Reed looking at me like that without following through.
He carefully, almost reverently, pulled the t-shirt over my head, moving my hair out of the way.
Warmth from his fingers seeped through the thin materials, teasing my senses.
I wanted to know what they would feel like on every inch of my skin.
Smoothing the shirt over my body without touching my chest made my heart race.
“Give me a chance, Eloise.”
“A chance to spank me?”
He shot me a dazzling smile, one that could light up a room. “Would you like me to?”
I continued playing off the notion that his head injury was making him act different. “You don’t want to exert yourself if your head is as messed up as it appears to be.”
“Your eyes are as wide as I’ve ever seen them. Tell me you need that release, and I’ll happily do that for you.”
“I’d never allow someone like you to spank me.”
That ding seemed to bother him personally.
His eyes darkened as I stared into the deep-brown pools of his irises.
I knew nothing about him. Not really. His personality wasn't wonderful. No, that was another artfully fed lie. I trusted August, and he was picky when it came to who he kept in his inner circle. Reed couldn’t be that bad, but allowing him to become my friend would open me up to vulnerabilities that I didn’t want anyone to see.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Someone like me?”
“I don’t know why I said that. We don’t know each other very well.”
“You’re right. I’m attempting to show you who I am. I haven’t made judgements about you, though I certainly could.”
“You’re kind of a playboy.”
“Not anymore, though I’m admittedly surprised by your declaration. Are you sure you want to hold my twenties against me, lemondrop?”
He had a point. I was throwing an assumption at him, one that was untrue. It was all a ploy to keep some sort of distance emotionally. “Whatever, Reed. Leopards can’t change their spots.”
“Keep your distance then, instead of getting to know me. I remember you graced the internet in more than one scandal. Daddy’s money couldn’t save you from the media shitstorm constantly swirling around you.”
That actually stung and I had to keep myself from physically recoiling.
Reed had no idea the torture my parents had put me through.
They forced me to hang out in crowds I had no business being part of.
Seedy crowds. Wanting publicity for their troubled daughter to show that they were managing a huge enterprise while dealing with rumors and worse.
The reminder was too much. Rage burned through me, mixed with anger.
Everything that I’d been trying to forget bubbled to the surface.
Before I could even process what I was doing, I raised my non-injured hand to slap him across the face, but he caught it.
Reed made a point to grab only my fingers and avoided my wrist entirely.
Even when I was about to make a terrible decision, he was careful not to trigger me again. His behavior was maddening.
“Asshole.” I tossed the word out, but it wasn’t how I felt. Not really.
His eyes blazed with heat. “Lift your hand to my face again and I’ll set you across my thighs, whether you want me to or not. I’ll make your ass so sore from my paddle smacking it that you won’t sit comfortably for the rest of our night.”
I glared at him, deeply irritated with myself. Worse than that, I would let him do exactly that, but I knew it wouldn’t give me everything I needed. Taking a few more breaths, I glanced down at my feet.
"I apologize, Reed. But I know nothing would excuse that response. My parents were awful, but you don’t know all the details.”
“You’re forgiven. It’s that simple, because I don’t know anything about the situation. If you want to tell me, I’ll listen. Despite your attitude, I want you here.”
“Why?”